Method of preparing smoked joint meats



Patented Apr. 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. HAWKINSON, I' NASHVILLE TENNESSEE ASSIGNOR T0 .ALLIED vPACXERS,

INCORPORATED, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE.

METHOD OF PBEPARING SMOKED OINT IEATS.

Application mea April 7, 1924. serial no. mesas.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, J oHN A. HAWxrNsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nashville, in thev county of Davidson' and B'State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Preparing Smoked Joint Meats, of which the following is a specification.

The invent-ion resldes in a method of preparing smoked joint meats. The method is applicable to hams, shoulders and picnics and all of the large size hams. Such hams` are not desirable from the viewpoint of the average consumer, since the same, uncut, are too large for family requirements, and out, yield a number` of slices which are either too elongated for family utensils or Atoo large for family requirements.

rAlthough this diiiicultv has been a serious handicap to the 4meat industry since the commercial advent of smoked joint meats, and, as such, has been the subject of much consideratioiron the part of those skilled invthe preparation of meats, no practical solution of the same has been advanced prior t0 the method of the invention.

The method of the invention involves a u permanent redispesition in the ham of the meat port-ions and the bone portions, whereby the longitudinally tapering and transversely elliptical form of the meat portions is conlverted into a more elongated and subst-ani o tially cylindrical form, and the angulated arrangement of the bone portions is convert-- ed into a substantially straight-line ,arrangement.

The features of advantage whiehcharaoterize a. ham so prepared are numerous. The bulky appearance o f' the ham is min'- imized, and `the slicesl obtainable from the same are greater in number, are substann tially round instead of elliptical, areme-y dium in size instead o-f large, are more nearly uniform 1n both shape and size,

The accompanyin drawings are presented and.. contain substantially equal sections of bone.

standing differences between a ham prepared in the ordinary manner and a ham prepared in accordance with t-he invention, v

and second, one of many mechanical instrumentalities which may be used in practicing the invention.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is aA view of a. ham which has been prepared' in Athe ordinary manner;

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are views of slices taken throughfle ham on the lines 2 2, 3-3 and 1-,4 of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a View of a ham which has been prepared-,in accordance with theinvention;

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are 4views of slices taken throughthe ha'm on the lines 6 6, `7 7 and 8-8 of 5;

Fig. 9 'is a perspective view of one a-pparat-us which may be used in practicing the invention;

Fig. 10-is a perspective view of ham containers; and

Fig. 1,1is a side view of a ham undergoing the preparation involved in the method of the invention.

one of the Referring` to'ithe large ham illustrated in- Figs. l'to 4 inclusive, it will be observed that the'same, as prepared in the ordinary .manne-r, is bulky in appearance because of its tapering elliptical shape, and when cut yields variously proportioned slices which are for the most part undesirable from the viewpoint, of the consumer.

' Referring to the equally large ham illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive, it will4 be observed that the same, as prepared in accordance with the invention, is'vless bulky in' appearance because ofits elongated cy1indrical shape,`and when cut yields a greater number of slices,' all of which are desirable from the viewpoint of ithe consumer.

The method of the Invention consists'in subjeetin the ham, afterpickling and before smo ng, to sulicientexternal pressure to convert the same into an elongated cylindrical form, andI smoking the ham While the sanie is held in suchA form.

The method, more specifically stated, consi'sts in placing the ham, after the same has been pickled to the usual extent and is in a.v fliccid condition, in a perfor-ate non-elastic container of cylindrical form disposed within a press of .corresponding form; closing the for the purpose of i lustrating, first, the outpress until the ham within the container has vbeen subjected to sufficient external pressure to convert the same into an elongate( cylindrical forni; securing the container tightly about the compiessed ham and removing the same from the press '5` smoking the ham while encased under pressure inthe container; and releasing the container When the ham` has cooled and removing the ni'shed product.

If desired, the ham may be' i'eiiioved from the container after the meat portions have permanently set but before t-lie smoking `is entirely completed, and given a iiiisliing smoke. It'is immaterial, iii so fa-r as the results achieved by the method are concerned, Whether or not the -ham is encased iii the elastic fabric covering sometimes used during the smoking operation, but, if such a covering is used, surface marking by the container is practically eliminated. The

' ham, during the smoking operation, may be suspended in the usual manner .from the i substantially uniformvin .cross-sectional area and rounded shape.

-`While the foregoing description has to `do particularly with the.' preparation of large hams, itis to be uiiderstoodfthatv the' method of the invention is likewise applicable to hams of all sizes, and to shoulders. and

picnics.

Theapparatusillustrated in Figs. 9 to 1l inclusiue includes a Wire container l0 having twolsemi-cylindrical sides 1]. l2 which may bev brought together to any desired extent -and. latclied iii such closed posi-tions ,by a

plurality of spaced hook-s 13,"and a'press' 14 for subjecting the ham to the requisite pressure when in the container 10. If the am is to be suspended from the container, a.

-bail l5 may be used.

l. A method .of `preparing smoked jointmeats, which consists' in subjecting the meat while in aflaccid condition on the articulated bonestructure to a pressure suticien't to convert the same into a form which is throughout the greater portion of its length, and smoking the meat While in such form. 2. A method of preparing smoked' joint meat-s, vwhich consists in subjecting lthe meat While in a laccid 'cienditioii on tliearticulated bone kstructure to a pressure suicient to convert the same into a substantially oylindrical form, and smoking the meat While in such form.- l

3. A method of prepa-ring hams, which -consists in subjecting the composite meat and articulated bone structure after pickling and before smoking to a pressure sufficient to convert the saine -into a-form 4which is substantially uniform in cross-sectional area throughoutv the greater portion of its' length, and smoking the ham Whilein such form..

Il; A method of preparing hams, which consists in subject-ing the composite moat and articulated bone` `structure after pickling and before smoking to a pressure.

sufficient to convert. thesame into a substantially cylindrical form, and smoking the ham while in such form.

5. A method of` preparing hams, which consists iii subjecting the composite meat and articulated bone structure after pickling and before smoking to a `pressure suiiicieiit to convert the ham into a substantially cylindrical form wherein the wide medial portions of the meat structure are transposed lengthwise of the form and the articulated portions of vt-he bone structure are caused to assume positions more nearly lengthwise of the form, and smoking the ham While iii such form.-

' 6. A metlilod of preparing hams, which consists in placing the composite meat and articulated bone struct-ure after pickling and before smoking in a perfora-te nonelastic ycontainer of cylindrical form `disposed within a press of corresponding form, closing the press until the ham Within the container has been subjected to suficient pressure to convert the same into an elongated, substantially cylindrical for'm, securing the container tightly about the compressed ham and removing the same from the press, smoking the ham ivhile encased under pressure in thek container, and releasing the containerjvhen the ham 'has cooled and. re`

lmoving the finished product.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed 'my name.

"JOHN A. HAWKINsoN.- 

